Method of connecting pairs of wires

ABSTRACT

Corresponding wires of two pairs of wires are connected to each other by single connectors having two electrically separate crimpable ferrules. A wire of each pair is positioned in a tool in a manner such that it extends axially into one ferrule. The remaining wire of each pair is positioned in the tool in a manner such that it extends externally past the connector, is reversely bent, and extends into the other ferrule. Upon actuation of the crimping tool, the end portions of the four wires are trimmed and the crimpable ferrules are crimped onto the wire ends.

United States Patent Over [ Feb.8, 1972 [52] US. Cl ..29/628, 29/630 F, 140/11 1 [51] Int. Cl. ..H0lr 43/00, H02g 15/08 [58] Field of Search ..29/630 F, 624, 628; 174/84;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,927,382 9/1933 Andrew ..l74/84.1UX 2,333,266 11/1943 Miller ..l74/84.3

2,267,630 12/1941 Weiland 174/84 3,123,664 3/1964 Logan ....l74/84.1 X 3,320,354 5/1967 Marley et al 1 74/84 3,438,407 4/1969 Over ..29/628 X [57] ABSTRACT Corresponding wires of two pairs of wires are connected to each other by single connectors having two electrically separate crimpable ferrules. A wire of each pair is positioned in a tool in a manner such that it extends axially into one ferrule. The remaining wire of each pair is positioned in the tool in a manner such that it extends externally past the connector, is reversely bent, and extends into the other ferrule. Upon actuation of the crimping tool, the end portions of the four wires are trimmed and the crimpable ferrules are crimped onto the wire ends.

1 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB sIsn 3.639.977

SHEET 1 OF 6 INSULATION 2o 2 3 OTHER WIRE OF OTHER WIRE OF SECOND PAIR FIRST PAIR 22 FIRST PAIR 4 8 ONE WIRE 0F FIRST FERRULE SECOND PAIR 6 ONE WIRE OF SECOND PAIR IO FIRST PAIR SECOND FERRULE PATENYEU FEB am! SHEET 2 [IF 6 PATENTED FEB 8 B72 SHHII 3 OF 6 PATENTED FEB 8 I972 SHEET Q UF 6 PATENTEIJ FEB am:

SHEET 5 [1F 6 PATENTED FEB 8 i972 SHEET 8 [1F 6 METHOD OF CONNECTING PAIRS OF WIRES CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED UNITED STATES PATENTS This application is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 6l3,l52, filed Feb. 1, I967, now US. Pat. No. 3,444,312.

The disclosed embodiment of this invention utilizes an electrical connector which is similar, in many respects, to the connectors shown in US. Pat. No. 3,320,354, and utilizes a crimping tool of the general type shown in US. Pat. No. 3,328,871.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Electrical conductors frequently are used as associated pairs; for example, one conductor of the pair may constitute a signal conductor and the other conductor a ground conductor. In the telephone industry, each circuit requires a signal conductor and a ground conductor and the two wires are thought of, and dealt with, as a pair or a twisted pair for the reason that the two wires of each pair are twisted around each other for purposes of identification. The size of a telephone cable is usually specified in terms of the number of pairs it contains. For example, a cable may contain 2,700 pairs or 5,400 individual wires.

When the ends of two pairs of wires are being connected to each other, it is necessary to make two separate electrical connections, one electrical connection being required for the corresponding ends of the wires of the two pairs. In accordance with prior art practice, when the ends of a severed telephone cable are being spliced, the lineman first separates from the numerous pairs in each end the particular pairs which are to be connected. He then separates the two wires in each of the pairs and makes electrical connections between the ends of these wires. After making the connections for these pairs, he can then proceed to a next two pair of wires in the cable and make the electrical connections for it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method for facilitating the making of electrical connections between wires of two pairs of wires extending towards each other. In general, the invention achieves a connecting system in which the technician can separate and identify the ends of two pairs of wires extending towards each other. He can then lace the ends of the wires through a single tool and perform a single crimping operation to make two electrical connections for the pairs being worked upon. The technician is thus permitted to work with individual pairs as such and form the two electrical connections necessary for a pair in one operation.

One form of electrical connection in accordance with the invention comprises first and second conducting ferrules disposed in axially aligned, but electrically separated, relationship to each other. A first pair of wires extends towards the first ferrule and the second pair of wires extends towards the second ferrule. One wire of the first pair extends axially into the first ferrule and one wire of the second pair extends past the ferrules, is reversely bent and extends axially into the first ferrule. The other wire of the first pair extends past both of the ferrules, is reversely bent, and extends axially into the second ferrule while the other wire of the second pair extends axially into the second ferrule so that the one wire of the first pair is electrically connected to the one wire of the second pair and the other wire of the first pair is electrically connected to the other wire of the second pair.

Electrical connections between pairs of wires in accordance with the invention can be made by means of a crimping die and a crimping anvil of the type in which the die has a transversely extending slot intennediate its ends. The wires which are to be connected to each other are positioned in the tool with their end portions extending through the slot. A shearing member moves into the slot in advance of movement of the anvil towards the die so that the end portions of the wires,

which extend through the slot, arc sheared in the planes of the side of the slot. Upon subsequent movement of the anvil towards the die, an electrical connecting device comprising two electrically separate conducting ferrules, is crimped onto the severed ends of the wires to produce the connection described immediately above.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a diagrammatic view of an electrical connection between the ends of corresponding wires of two pairs of wires.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector of the type used to make the connection of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2a is a perspective view of a crimped connection in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a crimping die and crimping anvil used to make the connection of FIGS. 1 and 2a.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one type of tool which can be used to make a connection in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the tool of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but which shows the positions of the parts at the completion of the crimping operation.

FIG. 7 is a sectional frontal view of the tool of FIG. 4 showing the positions of the parts at the beginning of the operating cycle; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the positions of the parts at the end of the cycle.

In FIG. I, the individual wires in the pairs which are connected to each other are identified with word legends'as well as reference numerals in order to avoid ambiguity in the terminology used in the specification. The connection of FIG. I is between a first pair 4 of wires and a second pair 6, the pairs 4 and 6 extending axially towards each other. It will be understood that these two pairs of wires might be in the ends of cables containing a vast number of individual pairs as in telephone cables.

The connections between the corresponding ends are made by an electrical connecting device comprising a first conducting ferrule 8 and a second conducting ferrule 10, these ferrules being disposed in axially aligned, but electrically separated, relationship with respect to each other and being held in such relationship by suitable insulating means 12. One wire 14 of the first pair 4 extends axially into the ferrule 8. One wire 16 of the second pair 6 extends past the ferrules as shown at I8, is reversely bent at 20, and extends into the ferrule 8 beside the wire 14. The other wire 22 of the first pair 4 extends past the ferrules as shown at 23, is reversely bent at 24, and extends into the ferrule 10. The other wire 26 of the second pair 6 extends axially into this second ferrule. The terminology set forth in FIG. I to identify the wires of the first and second pair will be used throughout this specification.

A specific form of connecting device for making the connection of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 2. The ferrules 8, I0, are of the open U-type and each' ferrule has a pair of spaced-apart struck-up tongues 34 in each which there is provided a pair of wire receiving notches 36. The notches have a width which is substantially equal to, or slightly less than, the diameter of the insulating cores of the wires so that when the wires are forced into the notches, the sides of the notches will penetrate the insulation of the wires and establish electrical contact with the cores. Connectors having such wire-penetrating tongues are described in detail in US. Pat. No. 3,320,354, referred to above. The insulation I2 comprises a film of a suitable tough plastic such as Mylar (polyethylene terephthalate) which is bonded to the external surfaces of the ferrules and which extends beyond the end of the ferrules as shown at 30 and beyond the longitudinal edges of the ferrules as shown at 32. As previously noted and as shown by the gap 9, the two ferrules are electrically separate from each other so that two wires crimped in the ferrule 8 will be electrically separated from two wires crimped in the ferrule 10.

The principles involved in making the electrical connection of FIG. I and 2a can be readily understood from an inspection of FIG. 3 which shows diagrammatically the tooling required to make the connection. This tooling comprises a die block 38 having troughlike forming surface portions 40 on its underside 42. The sides of these forming surfaces extend inwardly and are reversed as shown at 44 to form a cusp. A slot 46 extends transversely inwardly from the front side 48 of the die block and intersects the top surface 50 and also intersects the trough 40 on the underside 42. The connector is supported on the upper surface 54 of an anvil block 52 which is movable relatively towards and away from the die block 38 during the crimping operation. Additionally, a shearing bar 56 is disposed between the die and the anvil and is movable into the slot 48. The width of this shearing block is substantially equal to the width of the slot 46 so that when this shearing block moves upwardly, as viewed in FIG. 3, it will shear the wires extending through the slot in the planes of the sides of the slot.

When a connection between the corresponding wires of the pairs 4, 6 is to be made, the wire 14 is positioned in the trough 40 with its end extending laterally through the slot 46 as shown at Ma. The wire 22 is positioned above the upper surface 50 of the block and is then led through the trough 40 on the opposite side of the block (the right-hand side as viewed in FIG. 3) with its end 22a extending through the slot. The wires of the pair 6 are similarly positioned in the tool with their ends 16a, 26a extending through the slot 46. When the connections are made, the shearing member 56 is moved relatively upwardly partially through the slot 46 until the ends 16a, 14a, 20a, 18a are severed or sheared in the planes the sides of the slots. The anvil is then moved upwardly to crimp the connecting device onto the ends of the wires. As will become apparent from the description of a specific tool for performing this shearing and crimping operation which is presented below, the technician can makea complete set of connections for the pairs 4, 6 and can perform both of the crimping operations in one operation.

FIGS. 48 show a tool for making electrical connections in accordance with the invention which is in many respects similar to the tool 58 shown in my US. Pat. No. 3,328,871. This tool comprises a frame member 60 having an integral flange or arm 62 at its upper end and having a lower end 64 which extends between the sides of a channel-shaped fixed handle 66 to which it is secured by fasteners 68. The crimping die means 38 comprises four individual die blocks which are secured to theflange 62 by the means of fasteners 70 on each side of the slot 46. Retainer plate means 72 are secured to the front sides of these dies on each side of the slot 46. Wire guides 74 are provided on the sides of the dies to separate the wires when they are positioned in the tool, these wire guides comprising suitable resilient plastic plates having upwardly extending slots 76 on their lower ends in which there are mounted pins 78. The anvil 52 is provided on the upper end of a block 80 which is disposed against the surface of the frame 60. The shearing bar 56 is provided with an extension 82 which is secured to the block 80 by a pin 84. A slot 86 (FIG. 6) extends inwardly from the lower end of the slide 80 and an ear 88 extends leftwardly from this lower end. The car 88 has a pin-slot connection with the frame 60 as shown at 90, 92 so that this slide member 80 and the anvil 52 will be guided along a straight line path towards and away from the crimping dies. The lower end of the frame 60 is provided with a pair of spaced-apart forwardly extending flanges 94 which straddle the slide 80. One of these flanges is shown in phantom in FIG. and is partially visible in FIG. 6. A main movable handle 96, composed of two spaced-apart plates, is pivoted to these flanges as shown at 98, this pivot pin extending through an elongated slot 100 in the slide 80 to permit a limited amount of relative movement between the slide and the main handle. This handle is also provided with stops 102 which bottom against the fixed handle 66 to limit the extent of the crimping stroke.

An auxiliary takeup handle .104 is contained between the two plates of the handle 96, has its end portion extending into slot 86 of the slide, and is pivoted thereto as shown at I06. The auxiliary handle is also pivotally connected as shown at 108 to the main handle 96 and is coupled to this main handle by means of a ratchet mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel 110 and a pawl 112. The ratchet wheel 110 is secured to the auxiliary handle 104 and the pawl 112 is mounted on a pin 114 extending between the plates of the handle 96. Additionally, a spiral spring 118 has its outer end secured on a pin mounted in the auxiliary handle and has its inner end secured to the pin 108. The arrangement is such that the auxiliary handle can be moved through a minor clockwise are from the position shown in FIG. 4 to provide a quick takeu'p of the slide member during the initial portion of the operating cycle. The main handle and the auxiliary handle are then moved relatively towards the fixed handle during the final portion of the stroke when a relatively high mechanical advantage is required for the shearing and crimping operations. The ratchet mechanism acting between the auxiliary handle 104 and the handle 96 ensures that after a crimping cycle has been started. it will be carried to completion and the anvil will move to the uppermost limits of its travel.

It should be noted that alternative tool linkages might be used for practice of the invention. Insofar as the present invention is concerned, it is merely necessary to move the anvil 52 and cutter bar 56 upwardly from the position of FIG. 5 to the position of FIG. 6.

In use, the parts will normally be in the positions shown in FIG. 4 with the anvil in its lowered position relative to the crimping die. The technician first laces the wires as shown in FIG. 4 and as previously described with regard to FIGS. 1 and 2. He then positions an uncrimped connecting device on the upper surface of the anvil and closes the handles to first drive the shearing member upwardly through the slot 46 and to thereafter crimp the connector onto the cut ends of the wires. Then heopens the handles and can remove the completed crimp connection from the tool by merely sliding the wires forwardly over the rapping posts 124.

A significant advantage of the invention is that both of the crimped connections required for connecting two pairs of wires can be made in one manipulative operation. The timesaving, however, is not limited to the difference between one and two manipulations of the tool itself but also extends to the wire selection and lacing operations. The technician deals with the wires as pairs rather than as individual wires so that he can isolate the two pairs 4, 6 which are to be connected, lace them into the tool, and perform the crimping operations. It will be readily apparent that there is much less possibility of the technician making improper connections between wires of different pairs with a tool in accordance with the invention for the reason that when he isolates a pair to be connected, he deals with the two pairs at one time.

It will be apparent that the wire-lacing and wire-trimming aspects of the invention might be used in conjunction with wire-connecting techniques other than crimping. For example, the crimping dies of the tooling shown in FIGS. 3-8 could be replaced with welding or wire-twisting devices and all of the manipulative advantages of the invention would still be achieved. It will also be apparent that the two metallic connecting members 8, 10 need not necessarily be mounted on a single section of insulating material. If desired, two separate insulated connector members can be used to practice the method of the invention.

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently different modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only.

I claim:

1. The method of electrically connecting the wires of a first pair of wires to the wires of a second pair of wires in separate electrical connections by means of first and second electrical connecting devices and an applicator apparatus comprising a first applicator member having a transversely extending slot inten'nediate its ends, a second applicator member for supporting said connecting devices in axially aligned relationship, said connecting devices being supported on said second applicator member, a severing member which is movable into said slot, and said applicator apparatus having means for moving said severing member into said slot and for subsequently moving said applicator members towards each other, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning the other wire of said first pair with its axis extending past and externally of said applicator members to said other end of said apparatus and having its end portion reversely bent and extending between said applicator members and through said slot,

positioning the other wire of said second pair with its axis extending beside said other wire of said first pair between said applicator members and through said slot,

trimming the ends of all of said wires in the planes of the sides of the slot by moving said severing member into said slot, and electrically connecting said one wire of said first pair to said one wire of said second pair in said first connecting device and electrically connecting said other wire of said second pair to said other wire of said first pair in said second connecting device by contemporaneously forcing the devices onto the said wires and crimping them thereabout by moving said applicators relatively towards each other. 

1. The method of electrically connecting the wires of a first pair of wires to the wires of a second pair of wires in separate electrical connections by means of first and second electrical connecting devices and an applicator apparatus comprising a first applicator member having a transversely extending slot intermediate its ends, a second applicator member for supporting said connecting devices in axially aligned relationship, said connecting devices being supported on said second applicator member, a severing member which is movable into said slot, and said applicator apparatus having means for moving said severing member into said slot and for subsequently moving said applicator members towards each other, said method comprising the steps of: locating said first pair adjacent to one end of said apparatus and locating said second pair adjacent to the other end of said apparatus, positioning one wire of said first pair between said applicator members with its end portion extending through said slot, positioning one wire of said second pair with its axis extending past and externally of said applicator members to said one end of said apparatus and with its end portion reversely bent and extending beside said one wire of said first pair between said applicator members and through said slot, positioning the other wire of said first pair with its axis extending past and externally of said applicator members to said other end of said apparatus and having its end portion reversely bent and extending between said applicator members and through said slot, positioning the other wire of said second pair with its axis extending beside said other wire of said first pair between said applicator members and through said slot, trimming the ends of all of said wires in the planes of the sides of the slot by moving said severing member into said slot, and electrically connecting said one wire of said first pair to said one wire of said second pair in said first connecting device and electrically connecting said other wire of said second pair to said other wire of saiD first pair in said second connecting device by contemporaneously forcing the devices onto the said wires and crimping them thereabout by moving said applicators relatively towards each other. 